Frame By Frame

NASA defines a supernova as “the last hurrah” of a dying star. But what do supernovas and Black leading women in Hollywood have in common? That’s what Philana Payton, doctoral candidate for Cinema and Media Studies at USC is searching to answer in her dissertation, “Celestial Bodies: Black Women, Hollywood, and the Fallacy of Stardom.”

Payton visited the IU campus this past February to present Claudine during the ‘Love! I’m in Love!’ film series. Payton was awarded the 2nd Annual Graduate Student Writing Prize from the SCMS Black Caucus for her essay, "Claudine, The Original Welfare Queen: Diahann Carroll and the Disruption of Respectability." Here, Payton talks about her dissertation work in detailing out the similarities in timelines of stars Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt, Dorothy Dandridge, and Whitney Houston. Payton discusses how the stark lack of structure and support built for black women performers in Hollywood led to an internal implosion and how their stardom contrasted with those of white stars. Building onto the discussion of star theory, Payton elaborates on how past Black women performers of Hollywood have shined brighter than the rest but ultimately died out too early.

Topics Discussed:

0:00-4:00 – Introductions, including clip from Julie Dash’s classic, Daughters of the Dust

4:00-11:15 - Introductions including astrology charts and the lived inspiration of feeling closer to the moon in L.A.

11:20-16:50 - Growing up in Atlanta, being an athlete, an early appreciation of art, and Whitney Huston

16:50-21:50 - Starting out in film scholarship and first readings of Bell Hooks

19:45-52:00 - In-depth discussion of dissertation beginning from how Payton first identified seeing Whitney Houston's story, with Lena Horne and Eartha Kitt as precursors. Being a black woman academic.

53:05-1:06:00 - Beyond the supernova and how Payton envisions her work extending beyond to care for present and future generations of cultural and even academic icons, discussing current icons Beyoncé, Halle Berry, and Angela Bassett.

1:05:45-1:16:32 - The impact of Diahann Carroll's performance in Claudine and how the film portrays the U.S. structure of racism and poverty.

Frame By Frame is hosted by Dr. Terri Francis

Theme music provided by BRZ with additional music from André Seewood and Deija Lighon

Production by David Carter, Deonna Weatherly and Bria McCarty

Notes and episode descriptions were written by Yeeseon Chae with additional assistance from David Carter

The views, information, or opinions expressed on the Black Film Center & Archive audio series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Trustees of Indiana University ("IU") and/or its employees. IU is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the content contained in this podcast.

This podcast and its content are available for private, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, display, distribute, modify, or perform any of the content contained in this blog without the prior express written approval of the Black Film Center & and Archive.”

Jessie Maple, the first Black woman to join the International Photographers of Motion Picture & Television Union, talked about her career with Dr. Terri Francis in January of 2020 during her campus visit. Her 1989 film Twice as Nice, which screened at the IULMIA, follows twins Caren and Camilla Parker, both star players on a college women’s basketball team energized by the prospect of a first female pick in the upcoming “MBA” draft. The film was restored at the BFC/A with support from the National Film Preservation Foundation. In this podcast episode, Jessie Maple talks about how she broke through the racist and sexist barriers early in her career, and her life philosophy on taking deep breaths and big risks.

Topics Discussed:

0:00-5:02 Introductions

5:20-9:35 The Importance of Jessie joining the union as a black woman, knowing your craft.

9:50-12:30 Being independent, her past in the medical profession, having confidence in yourself.

12:30-16:45 The “Maple Philosophy”, doing what she can with what she has, being independent (cont.)

16:46-20:02 Legacy and final remarks

Frame By Frame is hosted by Dr. Terri Francis

Theme music provided by BRZ with additional music from André Seewood and Deija Lighon

Production by David Carter, Deonna Weatherly and Bria McCarty

Notes and episode descriptions were written by Yeeseon Chae with additional assistance from David Carter

The views, information, or opinions expressed on the Black Film Center & Archive audio series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Trustees of Indiana University ("IU") and/or its employees. IU is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the content contained in this podcast.

This podcast and its content are available for private, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, display, distribute, modify, or perform any of the content contained in this blog without the prior express written approval of the Black Film Center & and Archive.”

Jamaican filmmaker Esther Figueroa visited the BFC/A in the Spring of 2019. The visit was a part of the program, ‘Black Sun White Moon: Exploring Black Cinematic Imaginations of Space.’ The film series included Fly Me to the Moon, Figueroa’s feature-length documentary about the natural material of bauxite in the Caribbean that have been mined as an essential component of advanced space travel. Esther Figueroa and Dr. Terri Francis have a wide-ranging conversation here about Figueroa’s beginnings in film, exploring different timelines of world events and their connections to everyday lives, and how she views the impact of her work.

Topics Discussed:

0:00-3:00 Introductions

03:10- 4:30 Early life in Jamaica, interest in writing, being well traveled

04:45-11:42 Time in Hawaii, colonial occupation of Hawaii, coming into filmmaking, the indigenous way of filmmaking, conservation.

11:43- 16:40 Return to Jamaica, “Kuleana”, the importance of archival work and creation and distribution of Caribbean knowledge, origins of Cockpit Country: Voices from Jamaica’s Heart

16:45- 21:42 The indigenous perspective, tourism, overmining, overfishing, and it’s effect on Jamaica's ecosystem and economy, the continuing effects of colonialism in Jamaica

22:23-26:55 Sputnik, traveling around America as a child and facing racism, education, athletics, growing up with brothers.

26:57- 29:28 Studying Communications, influences from outside of traditional cinema.

29:30- 37:21 Filmmaking philosophy (filmmaking as a craft), growing up in a patriarchal household, being a female filmmaker.

Frame By Frame is hosted by Dr. Terri Francis

Theme music provided by BRZ with additional music from André Seewood and Deija Lighon

Production by David Carter, Deonna Weatherly and Bria McCarty

Notes and episode descriptions were written by Yeeseon Chae with additional assistance from David Carter

The views, information, or opinions expressed on the Black Film Center & Archive audio series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Trustees of Indiana University ("IU") and/or its employees. IU is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the content contained in this podcast.

This podcast and its content are available for private, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, display, distribute, modify, or perform any of the content contained in this blog without the prior express written approval of the Black Film Center & and Archive.”

As a part of the Before Representation series in Fall 2019, Dr. TreaAndrea Russworm, Associate Professor at University of Massachusetts Amherst, presented her work on race and video games at the IU Media School. Dr. Russworm’s work spans across digital cultural studies to postmodern studies. A natural storyteller since childhood, the professor envisioned herself becoming a writer first until someone told her that she could get a Ph.D. and write books on the side. In this podcast interview, Dr. Russworm describes her academic and personal journey to where she is now, currently writing her fourth book, a monograph on race and technology.

Topics Discussed:

0:00-2:45 Introductions

02:45-26:50 Beginnings, becoming an academic, studying multimedia, and the importance of hobbies

27:20-38:10 Shifting from studying cinema to studying video games, what makes a game a game and a movie a movie?

38:47-45:30 Catfish, the protection of anonymity, VR, and The Matrix

45:45:00-1:03:15 Discussing representational meaning making in her upcoming lecture

Frame By Frame is hosted by Dr. Terri Francis

Theme music provided by BRZ with additional music from André Seewood and Deija Lighon

Production by David Carter, Deonna Weatherly and Bria McCarty

Notes and episode descriptions were written by Yeeseon Chae with additional assistance from David Carter

The views, information, or opinions expressed on the Black Film Center & Archive audio series are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of The Trustees of Indiana University ("IU") and/or its employees. IU is not responsible for and does not verify the accuracy of the content contained in this podcast.

This podcast and its content are available for private, non-commercial use only. You may not reproduce, display, distribute, modify, or perform any of the content contained in this blog without the prior express written approval of the Black Film Center & and Archive.”